Water-blocking vent panel and air filter therefor

Abstract

A housing includes a wall having an aperture and a vented panel, the vented panel including a first wall having a first side and a second side and an opening, a second wall having a first side, a second side facing the first wall first side and an opening, and a panel interior, the housing further including an air filter having an inner side and an outer side relative to the interior mounted against the second wall first side over the second wall opening with the filter inner side facing the housing interior, a water dam mounted along the filter bottom portion at the filter inner side, the water dam being higher than any water barrier mounted along the filter bottom portion outer side, whereby, any water reaching the filter bottom is substantially prevented from draining into the housing interior. Also an air filter usable in the housing.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]The present invention claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 081,103, filed Jul. 16, 2008, the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention is directed toward a vented panel and to a filter configured to reduce water passage through the vented panel, and more specifically, toward a vented panel and a filter configured to drain any water accumulating in a bottom portion of the filter in a given direction.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Outdoor cabinets for housing telecommunication and / or electrical equipment are known, which cabinets may include vents for allowing air into or out of the housing to cool the equipment contained therein. Many cabinets include an access opening covered by a door or panel, and it is known to provide ventilation openings, sometimes partially covered by a plurality of louvers, in the panel. Other times, ventilation openi...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006]These problems and others are addressed by the present invention, a first aspect of which comprises an air filter having a bottom, a first side, a second side and a front and a rear relative to a first direction of intended air flow through the filter. The filter further includes a front frame having a bottom wall member having a first thickness in the first direction, a first length between the first and second sides of the air filter and a first width perpendicular to the first length and perpendicular to the first thickness. In addition, the filter includes a rear frame having a bottom wall member having a second thickness in the first direction and a second length between the first and second sides of the air filter and a second width perpendicular to the second length and the second thickness. A layer of filter material is supported between the front frame member and rear frame member, and the front frame and rear frame are configured such that water accumulating at the filter bottom is substantially prevented from flowing over or through the rear frame bottom wall member.

[0007]Another aspect of the invention comprises a housing having an interior, a wall having an aperture, and a vented panel mounted over the aperture. The vented panel includes a first wall having a first side and a second side and an opening, a second wall having a first side, a second side facing the first wall first side, and an opening, and a panel interior between the first wall first side and the second wall second side. The housing also includes a filter having an inner side and an outer side relative to the interior mounted against the second wall first side over the second wall opening with the filter inner side facing the housing interior for filtering air passing through the second wall opening into the housing interior. The filter also has a bottom end and a bottom portion adjacent the bottom end. A water dam is mounted along the filter bottom portion at the filter inner side, the water dam being higher than any water barrier mounted along the filter bottom portion outer side so any water reaching the filter bottom is substantially prevented from draining into the housing interior.

[0008]A further aspect of the invention comprises a vented housing having an interior having a bottom and including a wall having an inner side facing the interior and at least one ventilation opening in the wall. The housing also includes a filter mounted against the wall inner side over the ventilation opening for filtering air passing through the at least one ventilation opening and into the housing interior. The filter has a bottom end facing the housing bottom, a bottom portion adjacent the bottom end, an inner side facing into the housing interior and an outer side facing the at least one opening. A water dam is mounted along the inner side of the filter bottom portion, the water dam being higher than any water barrier mounted along the filter outer side bottom portion, so that any water reaching the filter bottom is substantially prevented from entering the housing interior.

Problems solved by technology

It can be difficult to keep out dust and moisture while maintaining a suitably high air flow.

For example, small or constricted ventilation openings can be used to reduce water entry into the cabinet, but such openings may also adversely affect air flow into the cabinet and / or may be expensive to manufacture.

Larger openings that provide higher air flow may allow an undesirably large amount of water into the cabinet.

Air filters, on the other hand, tend to reduce air flow and may also absorb or collect water which may then find its way into the interior of the cabinet.

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